(The Center Square) – In their final briefs before an expected ruling, plaintiffs in the challenge to Illinois’ gun and magazine ban argue the Protect Illinois Communities Act should be struck down by a federal district judge.
The consolidated lawsuits in the Southern District of Illinois were filed shortly after Illinois banned the sale and possession of more than 170 semi-automatic firearms and magazines over certain capacities. The Protect Illinois Communities Act was enacted in January 2023.
Preliminary actions, which included a six-day injunction against the law in late April 2023, went all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, which denied taking the case because it wasn’t on final judgment.
Following a four-day bench trial on final judgment in the district court last month, Judge Stephen McGlynn gave litigants 30 days to file final briefs. The state as defendants filed their proposed findings of fact and conclusions of law Monday afternoon.
“Plaintiffs are not entitled to a permanent injunction because they have not prevailed on their claims,” one filing from the state says. “If the Court disagrees, however, any injunction it enters must be limited in scope and should be stayed pending review by appellate courts.”